A suspension coil spring disposed between a member on a side of a vehicle body and a member on a side of a vehicle wheel includes a lower end having a first turn defining an end turn and a second turn larger in diameter than the first turn. The lower end of such a coil spring is resiliently received by a spring seat. The spring seat includes a resinous seat portion disposed on a suspension arm and a rubber seat portion receiving the coil spring. The rubber seat portion has a recess receiving the end turn of the coil spring.
Since the spring seat is formed from the resinous seat portion and the rubber seat portion, the spring seat can steadily receive the lower end of the coil spring for a long period of time. Such a spring seat is known from, for example, JP-A-2010-007772.
A spring seat disclosed in JP-A-2010-007772 includes a resinous seat portion provided on a suspension arm and a rubber seat portion receiving a coil spring. The rubber seat portion has a recess receiving an end turn of the coil spring. When a vehicle including this spring seat is used in a cold area, rainwater may be accumulated in the recess of the rubber seat portion of the spring seat and frozen into ice, thereby filling the recess. This may result in unexpended stress being caused.
Suspension components are relatively highly rigid to provide for a sufficient safety factor. It is desirable that a load such as frozen rainwater on these components be reduced as much as possible with a view to make the components lighter and reliable.
That is, when rainwater is accumulated in a space defined in a suspension arm and frozen into ice, it is necessary to provide a structure designed to get rid of blocks of ice in the space. It is noted that frozen rainwater may contain snow or mud.